Free parking meter



Filed Jan. 3, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Samuel Orensfein Vt/a. ATT RNEYS.

Jan. 13, 1942. s. ORENSTEIN FREE PARKING METER Filed Jan. 3, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 W illil 5 I 7 INVENTOR. Samuel Orensfein BY v ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 13, 1942. s. ORENSTEIN 2,269,731

FREE PARKING METER Filed Jan. 5, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTQR. Samuel Orensfe/n ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 13, 1942 FREE PARKING METER Samuel Orenstein, Providence, R. 1., assignor to Fre-Park Timer Incorporated, Providence,

8. 1., a corporation Rhode Island Application .ianuary 3, 1940, Serial No. 312,310

3Claims.

The invention aims to provide a novel parking meter or timer which may be set when a car is parked, without aid of a coin or check, but will function to give a conspicuous indication when the period allowed for parking has elapsed, the idea being to permit free parking for any predetermined length of time but to prevent abuse of the privilege.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view with the casing removed, illustrating the parts in the positions which they occupy at the end of a parking period.

Figure 2 is a side elevation illustrating the manner in which the parts are set when a car is parked.

Figure 3 is a side elevation with the parts in the positions shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation, the parts being in set position.

Figure 5 is anelevation showing the casing.

Figure 6 is a view of the friction clutch and a section showing the preferred manner of mounting the pointer, the flag, etc., upon the clock shaft.

Figure 7 is a detail section on line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Preferred features oi construction have been illustrated and will be rather specifically described, with the understanding, however, that within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous variations may be made.

A suitable casing l is illustrated in Fig. 5, said casing having view openings l' and I in its 0pposite sides. covered with glass or the like weather-tightly mounted. The casing bottom l is detachably secured in place by screws passing through openings I exclusion of weather being attained by a suitable gasket 29. The lower side of the bottom I is provided with a lug or the like I which facilitates mounting of the casing on the usual post P. The bottom 1 rigidly carries a vertical plate 2 extending upwardly into the casing and acting as a support for the various movable parts hereinafter described.

A suitable spring-actuated clock mechanism l is mounted upon the plate 2 and is provided with a shaft 5 which is slowly rotatable in one direction under the influence of the clock spring, after said shaft has been turned in the other direction to wind said spring. Preferably a fricing means for the shaft 5, permitting more accurate setting of the time-indicating pointer 3 than would otherwise be possible. This pointer I is secured to the shaft 5 and is cooperable with a time scale 8 which may well be formed on a plate 3' secured to one side of the plate 2. A segmental flag 0 is also mounted on the shaft 5 but is loose upon the latter for movement with respect to the pointer 3. The pointer and flag are initially set at the positions shown in Fig. 2 when a car is parked, said pointer being then at zero on the scale 2. As the parking time gradually elapses, the pointer 2 advances along the scale 2 until it reaches the end of said scale, the flag 6 in the meantime remaining in the set position shown in Fig. 2. When the pointer 2 reaches the end of the scale 2', it serves to effect release of the flag 8, whereupon the latter moves to a position over and obscuring the scale 2', this position being shown in Figs. 1 and 3. When the flag 6 occupies this position, it extends across the opening I of the casing I, through which opening the scale 3' is ordinarily visible. The flag may, if desired, carry suitable wording such as that indicated at 6' to indicate that the parking time has expired and that the car has been over-parked.

The flag 6 is provided with a detent 20 extending through a slot 2! in the plate 2 and cooperable with a spring-applied latch I! for the purpose of holding said flag in the set position of Fig. 2 until said latch is released. The latch 19 is pivoted at 25 in the present disclosure and is provided with a releasing pin 24 passing through an opening 24' in the plate 2. The pointer 2 is provided with an arm i I which strikes the pin 24 and thereby releases the latch l9, when the pointer 3 has substantially reached the end of the time scale I. When this latch release occurs, a spring 26 (Figs. 1 to 3) swings the flag 6 to its visible scale-obscuring position, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. After releasing the latch l9 by engagpin 24, the end I of the arm l3 abuts a stop 21 on the plate 2, limiting the movement of the pointer 3 and stopping the clock mechanism. This same arm I! is cooperable with a roller or the like i2 on a setting lever l0 for the purpose of setting the pointer 3 to zero, and novel provision is made whereby this setting of the pointer also sets the flag 6 (see Fig. 2). The setting lever III is fulcrumed at H to the plate 2 and passes through an opening ill in the casing bottom I", the lower end of said lever being provided with a setting handle 8. The lever I0 is shown moved tion clutch connection 30 is provided in the drivto setting position in Fig. 2 and its movement in this direction is limited by an appropriate stop screw or the like 23. A weather-excluding bellows II surrounds the lever II and the slot II', one end of said bellows being fluid-tightly secured to the casing bottom I, while the other end or said bellows is similarly secured to said lever II, thus preventing any inclement weather conditions from interfering with proper operation of the lever. To restore the lever II to the normal idle position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, a suitable spring 22 has been shown.

The pivoted end of the pointer I is provided with an arm I! which extends to a point spaced radially from the shaft 5. The flag I is also provided with an arm II" which extends to a point spaced radially from the shaft I. the arms II and II being spaced apart a suitable number of degrees. A lever I is iulcrumed between its ends at II upon the arm II and is provided at its opposite ends with rollers II and I1 respectively, the roller I4 being cooperable with a push plate I5 on the arm II. The upper end of the lever is normally held against a stop I on the arm II by means or a suitable spring I". When the lever II is operated to push against the arm I3 the pointer I, the arm I3 and lever I move bodily with said pointer also, the roller II then pushing against the plate I and thus so pushing the arm II of the flag I as to set this flag concurrently with setting of the pointer. An abutment II, however, is mounted on the plate 2 in the path or the roller II or the lever I. When this roller strikes the abutment II, the lever I is rocked upon its fulcrum II, thus further pushing the arm II as seen in Fig. 2, thus setting the flag I to a greater extent than .the pointer I so that said flag in its set position will not obscure any portion of the time scale I. When the lever III is released, after movement to the position shown in Fig. 2, it is restored to its normal position (Figs. 1, 3 and 4) by the spring 22. The latch II in the meantime has engaged the detent 20 of the flag I to hold this flag in the set position shown in Fig. 2. The

clock mechanism I has been wound by setting may be rigidly connected with said flag I by a transverse web or the like I at the edge or the plate 2. The flag I" may carry two colored indicating disks or the like I and I' for presentation at the opening I" of the casing I. One disk may well be colored green and the other red. When the flag I is in the set position shown in Fig. 2, the green disk I will be visible at the opening I and when said flag I moves to the earn flag 6' simultaneously with setting of the pointer. Just before the pointer 3 reaches zero. the roller ll of the lever I strikes the abutment II, swinging said lever to the position shown in Fig. 2 and causing it to further set the flags, as will be clear from Fig. 2. The latch II immediateiy comes into play to latch the flags in set positions. The clock mechanism 4 having been wound by setting of the pointer 3 starts to slowly drive this pointer toward the end of the time scale I". When the pointer almost reaches the end of the scale, the end I of the arm I! strikes the latch-releasing pin 24, releasing latch II and causing spring 26 to move the two flags I and I to their over-parked positions, the arm II coming to rest against stop 21. Then, the end I of the arm II comes to rest against the stop 21 which may also limit the movement of the lever II under the influence of the spring 22, as will be clear from Figs. 1 and 3.

In mounting the pointer 3 and flag 5, it is preferable to employ the construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7. A hub 5 is pinned on the outer end of the shaft 5 and is provided with a squared portion upon which the hub 3 or the pointer I is mounted to connect said pointer with the hub I for rotation bodily with the shaft 5. A spacer 26* abuts the outer side of the pointer I and is held in place by,a screw Ii and a washer 2|", and the coiled portion of the spring 26 surrounds this spacer.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that over-parked position of Figs. 1 and 3, the red I disk I' will be visible at said opening I.

As to operation in general, let it first be assumed that the parts stand as seen in Figs. 1 and 3 and that a motorist wishes to park in the space served by the meter. After parking, he

will simply move the setting handle'I to the posi- I have made novel provision for carrying out the object or the invention. While excellent results are obtainable from the details disclosed and they are, therefore, preferably followed, attention is again invited to the possibility of making numerous variations within the scope of the invention as claimed. In this regard, while I have indicated a minute time scale 3", it will be understood that said scale may be of any desired length, and changing the length of the scale and the consequent movement of the pointer I, will not greatly ailect any other parts of the mechanism.

I claim:

1. In a timer having a settable pointer and a settable flag mounted for unidirectional movement; pick-up means for establishing a driving connection from said pointer to said flag to move said flag bodily with said pointer during most of the setting movement of said pointer, and means for so moving said pick-up means as to further move said flag with respect to said pointer as the setting movement of the latter is being completed.

2. In a timer having a settable pointer and a settable flag both mounted to swing about an axis; one arm secured to said pointer and extending to a point spaced radially from said axis. another arm secured to said flag and also extending to a point spaced radially from said axis, means on said one arm for pushing said other arm in flag setting direction when said one arm is moved in pointer setting direction, and means for moving said pushing means with respect to said one arm to further push said other arm in flag setting direction as said one arm completes its pointer setting movement.

3. In a timer having a settable pointer and a settable flag both mounted to swing about an axis; one arm secured to said pointer and extending to a point spaced radially from said axis, another arm secured to said flag and also extending to a point spaced radially from said axis, a lever fulcrumed between its ends on said one arm to swing in a plane transverse to said axis, one end of said lever being disposed against said other arm to push the latter in flag setting direction when said one arm is moved in a pointer setting direction, a stop for holding said lever against swinging with respect to said one am under the influence of said push, and a fixed abutment in the path of the other end of said lever to swing the latter away from said stop to further push said other arm in flag setting direction as said one arm completes its pointer setting movement.

SAMUEL ORENSTEIN. 

